California Dreamin'
by Scarlett88
Summary: When Don sees Betty's doppelganger during a business trip, he is forced to reevaluate his rocky relationship with his wife.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This short story takes place during 2x11 'The Jet Set' after Don has a very strong reaction to Betty's doppelganger. As always, I do not own the series or characters but am merely utilizing them for storytelling purposes. This is going to be a short story, most likely just one chapter more. My original plan was to keep it as a one-shot, but it seems to read stronger as a two-chapter piece, given that the point of view will be changing in the next chapter. As you can see, the first chapter is from Don's perspective. **** Please feel free to leave feedback and thanks so much for taking the time to read.**

Don Draper sauntered into the bar of the Four Seasons Hotel in California, his mind transfixed on matters back home in New York. He didn't tell his wife or children that he was leaving across the country for business; not that Betty would have given him the opportunity to do so anyway. Years of philandering and risk-taking were finally catching up to him on the home front, and one affair too many forced Betty to throw him out seemingly for good. His latest dalliance was work-related (as the majority were) and the fact that it was made public to his wife made it all the more difficult for her to swallow. There was no room for denial, no room for apologies, her mind was made up and he was out of the picture.

Loyal office manager Joan Holloway suggested that a change of scenery would do him a world of good. Joan seemed to know exactly what was going on in the Draper home without being told a word. That was why Don cherished her in the office – not only was she efficient, but she could seemingly read any situation and know exactly what to do next. Which was why Don was now in California, ditching the overly eager Pete Campbell to clear his head.

As Don maneuvered past the crowd, a solitary body commanded his attention. The curl of her blonde hair was smooth and poised, her dress elegant and stylish, and then there was her laugh. _Is she here? _Don dared to wonder, frozen in place. She was more beautiful than he remembered. _Absence makes the heart grow fonder _he reminded himself, studying her every move. This woman was with a friend, deep in mid-conversation. Don stepped forward, ready to make an entrance and not knowing what to say. He paused as she stood, a vision in a midnight blue dress with gold trim. She walked passed him, brushing his shoulder and he turned to watch her go. It wasn't his Elizabeth, his wife of nearly ten years. The resemblance was uncanny, and his reaction told him exactly where he needed to be.

One quick phone call to Sterling Cooper in New York landed him a nonstop flight back to New York. He was going to see her again, this time in the flesh, and he wasn't going to be pushed aside so easily. Not until he told her everything that was on his mind.

He had allowed her to get away from his grasp, through ignoring her and oftentimes humiliating her in public and in private. She boldly told him that she wasn't enough for him and he didn't correct her – partly because he wasn't sure himself. The past two months confirmed everything he wasn't able to say out loud. She was all he thought about, his sole obsession. Work had taken an invisible backseat over the past two months, with him sleepwalking through meetings, not caring about the outcome. It apparently took time apart to convince him that she and the children were all he needed, and he was now ready to commit.

_She could turn me down again, _he reminded himself, buckled into his window seat. Betty had been quick to dismiss him after her father's stroke. She had referred to their relationship as 'pretending' and an easier solution than telling her family that they were separated. Rather than fight her on the issue, Don left at her command, once more at a loss for words. He wasn't able to tell her what had been pressing on his mind, but now it seemed that telling her would be their only chance at reconciliation.

Don spent the remainder of the plane ride with his pen and paper, jotting down notes and memories of Betty, anything to put their relationship into words. Though he excelled at playing at the emotions of his clients for dramatic effect, it was a different story to be that vulnerable at home. She had accused him of never telling her that he loved her. Her statement shook him to the core – he had always loved her, from the moment they met. He told her with jewelry for anniversaries, stolen kisses away from others, and long nights together. He believed it was enough, that the actions would more than compensate for words. And yet the actions seemed hollow. He remained in the company of other women, though he was smart enough to keep them away from her, lest something go public. He was willing to make changes for her, as many as it would take to win her approval and earn back her trust.

He wondered what the children knew. Time spent with Sally and Bobby was often short and sweet, with work taking a high priority over family life. He knew that Sally and Bobby were shielded a great deal from his less than role model behavior. Betty knew how to keep private information behind closed doors. This meant that the children believed that Daddy was spending more time working at the office than being with them.

Don drove down the familiar streets with only the streetlights to guide his way. It was late enough for the children to be in bed, and if he knew his wife as well as he believed he did, she would be wide awake. Pulling in front of the house, he saw a small light glimmering from the side porch by the kitchen and knew that his opportunity had arrived. Closing his eyes, he pictured the shape of her body and the feel of her touch, a craving of longing coming over him. Dreams were not enough anymore, he needed to see her.

Don walked forward as he had done for so many advertising pitches, attempting to take control of the room, knowing full well that control was often out of his grasp. The person with control, was sitting in the kitchen, dressed in a white chemise with straps that dangled below her shoulder. _The real thing is so much better than any dream, hallucination, or substitute, _Don reminded himself, grateful to see her in this state. He gently wrapped his knuckles on the doorframe, attempting to call her attention in the quietest, most delicate possible way.


	2. Chapter 2: Coming Clean

Elizabeth Draper was beginning to regret the warm September weather that lingered longer than it should have, prolonging Indian Summer into what should have been the fall season. The stale air would be more manageable if the air conditioning hadn't of petered out earlier that day. The open window did nothing to aid the balmy kitchen. Betty lowered the strap of her slip, the fabric sticking to her skin. _Is it cool where he is, _she lazily wondered, quickly scolding herself for thinking of her husband in the first place. She cast a stern eye to the defunct air conditioner, the machine that Don never wanted in the house to begin with. _I could use something to keep me cool right about now._

She lazily opened the fridge, opting to stand in front of the cool air for only a brief moment. The hem of her dress ventured up in the slightest way in a response to the cool air. _Now if only I can stay here all night, _she mused, running a sticky hand through her now loose curls. There was no point in false pretenses, shedding decency in lieu of comfort. As far as she could tell, there was no one there to stop her.

A knock on the door caused her body to stiffen. _Had a neighbor seen me from across the window? _Betty grimaced, quickly searching for anything to cover up with.

"Birdie, it's me."

She closed her eyes. _Could he know that I was thinking of him, _Betty scolded herself, opting to let him wait an extra moment – Lord knows she had waited on him more than once. Opening the door a small crack, she acknowledged him with a simple head nod.

"May I come in?" Don asked, gently. "Please."

Betty pushed the door open, allowing him into the kitchen. "What more do you have to say?" Her body shuffled in the steamy kitchen.

Don opened his mouth to speak, opting to take off his jacket.

"The air conditioning is broken – I'm calling the repairman in the morning."

"I could take a look at it for you if you'd like," Don offered.

Betty said nothing, grabbing a beer from the fridge. She listened as Don made his way through the hall, tinkering with the new machine. There were, she had to admit, definite benefits to having a male around the house.

"One of the knobs was stuck," Don explained, grabbing the beer that Betty had placed for him on the table.

"Why did you come?" Betty asked, not impressed with idle chit chat.

"I went on a business trip to clear my head."

"How nice that you get to take time away to simply think," Betty snipped. "Some of us don't have that luxury."

"I was on the West Coast and all I could do was think about…you," he said finally. "You were in all of my thoughts."

Betty said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

"A few weeks ago, you accused me of not telling you that I love you." Don took a swig of his drink. "It isn't easy for me to tell you, or anyone how I feel; I was never accepted by either one of my parents. The first time I experienced love – I was with you."

Betty circled the rim of her glass of wine, waiting for him to continue.

"I've been lonely the last few weeks – not just for the kids but for you, all of this. Something that I've never had but always wanted."

"Do you want me to feel sorry for you?" Betty asked, breaking the momentary silence. "To forget everything that's happened."

Don shook his head. "I want you to take a walk with me."

"A walk?" Betty looked down at her simple cream colored slip. "I don't know if I'm dressed for a walk."

Don stood up and handed her his jacket. "A walk will do us both a world of good."

Betty stood primly in front of her husband, allowing him to fit the jacket over her body. It covered her in all of the right places, ensuring that her integrity would be preserved during their time outside.

"What brought all of this on?" Betty asked, breaking the stony silence as they walked out the front door and onto the driveway. "Did you come to a sudden realization on your own?"

"There's an expression," Don started slowly, offering his arm as they started down the well-lit sidewalks, "That you don't know what you have until you lose it."

Betty tentatively accepted her husband's arm. "You haven't lost me yet."

Don offered her a small smile.

Betty wrapped her fingers around his knuckles. "To be honest, I'm a little surprised that you've decided to fight for us."

Don rested his other arm on Betty's. "I was wrong to make you think that I didn't care."

"Finally something we can agree on."

Don paused to grab a red rose from one of the neighbor's yards. "I don't want it to be too late – to make amends, to restart."

Betty lifted the flower to her nose. "If you came back, things would be different." There was a hollowness to her voice, a secret that she was needing to make known if they were to ever pick up the pieces and come back together.

"I can change," Don assured her. "I'll come home on time, or at least I'll make more of an effort to. I'll be around more on the weekends – I'll be more respectful to you."

A stale breeze came from out of nowhere, causing her slip to billow beneath her. "I actually thought we'd have half a dozen babies together by now."

"We still can," Don ventured, pulling the jacket tighter around her waist.

Betty stopped Don at the corner of the sidewalk. "We're halfway there." Her eyes met his, telling him what had been burdening her over the past few weeks.

"Halfway there would make three children," Don said slowly, keeping her gaze.

Betty nodded her head. "When I found out – you were already gone, I had no way to get in touch with you, and I didn't know if you even wanted to come back after disappearing."

"Why didn't you tell me this from the start?" Don laughed, moving his hands to her belly. "Did you think I'd be upset?"

Betty let out a small laugh. "I didn't know what to think. This one wasn't exactly planned."

Don pulled her into an embrace. "Sally wasn't planned either."

"Further proof that we could be having another girl."

"Or a boy." Their foreheads touched ever so slightly. "Have you been to a doctor yet?"

Betty nodded her head in affirmation. "Everything's right on schedule."

Don leaned in to place a tentative kiss on Betty's mouth. "To think I had to go all the way to California to realize how much I needed you."

Betty boldly deepened his kiss with one of her own. "I need you too. Everything I said earlier – about life not being very different without you – I was kidding myself."

Don let out a relieved chuckle. "Well that makes two of us." He pushed stray locks of blonde hair behind her ears. "To think I thought that you and the children would always be around; it never occurred to me that I might lose all of you."

Betty placed one hand on her hip. Well now that you're back Mr. Draper, what exactly are you planning to do next?"

Don laced his fingers through Betty's. "I am taking my wife back home and plan on spoiling her very much over the next several months." His dream was a reality once more, and this time he wasn't planning on letting go.


End file.
